Teacher Jacinta Alexander and colleagues cheåer Daniella Sandiford.
There were screams of joy and excitement at the Wilkie Cumberbatch Primary School in the Pine, St. Michael this morning when the principal and teachers found out that Daniella Sandiford was among the top students in the island.
“I was happy and shocked… My dad said I had to cut out all social activities such as talking on the phone with my friends, going on the computer and watching television,” Sandiford said when asked what contributed to her success.
The student who is number five in the entire island after scoring 248.48, will be off to Queen’s College in September — a result of putting in extra work with her mother Davone Sandiford, Principal Margaret St. Hill-Pinder and other teachers.
Her mother said: “I am very proud and I feel very blessed. I am excited, I knew and [somewhat] expected it. I told her to believe in herself and to strive for excellence. I told her from a young age that she can be whatever she wants to be once she puts her mind to it.
“I reminded her to be herself no matter what people say about her because you know who you are and to believe in yourself and we talk a lot about the Bible.”
Daniella said her advice for the Class 3 students would be to work hard and try their best when their turn comes next year. (MR)